Mysticism Is a Quest in Search ofTransformative Union with God

Here you can learn all about the contemplative practices that define mysticism. But... why would you want to do that? Let's start by answering the why question...

Like any good parent, God desperately desires for us — creatures He created and whom He loves — to discover our full potential... to awaken to all we are.

However, research shows that many followers of Jesus don't change much at all after coming to faith. The global church and Christianity as a whole don't seem to be very effective at helping people transform.

It seems that we've lost something along the way. This is something that the church had, and put to very effective use, for the first 1,500 to 1,600 years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Although it's never been completely lost, it's time to make it central knowledge once again...

Mysticism is a way of life in which the practice of specific disciplines is a top priority. These disciplines help the mystic to become aware of God's presence through tangible experience. It teaches the mystic to love God deeply, and to be loved and transformed by Him. The ultimate goal is a life of union with God. By becoming more aware of and present to God, the mystic grows into a more mature human being, more peaceful, serving, and loving.

A mystical life is about allowing mystery and uncertainty. It's about being okay with not having answers to everything... in fact, not having answers to most things. The mystic trusts that God's Spirit works in ways that we can't understand or explain in this life. It's all about faith and trust.

Mystics also accept darkness and suffering and understand the necessity of these hard times for growth and development.

Sadly, the mystical life as it existed in the early church also had its flaws. Excessive and unnecessary asceticism, and other inexplicable behaviors — triggered mostly by pride — started appearing inside this tradition of the Spirit.

Many of the mystics who employed such unnecessary tactics had regret about them in their later writings.

Certain monastic traditions eventually started withdrawing from the world around them completely, making loving, serving and spiritual teaching of outsiders impossible. Maybe this points to a misunderstanding or lack of teaching of true contemplation.

Why Neo-Mysticism?

Today, I believe we are witnessing the Spirit of God re-introducing this ancient way of life. It was never completely lost or absent, but it certainly wasn't exactly in widespread use either. I want to call the contemporary adaptation of this ancient way of life to the "Google"-generation: Neo-Mysticism. It is new (neo-) because:

Important

I'm a follower of Jesus, but please don't let that or my use of Christian vocabulary make you feel unwelcome if you're from another tradition or religion. God does what He wants to and will engage people wherever they are. I promise you nothing on this website will try to convert you or "sell you" on Christianity. True spirituality is foremost about transformation, not about belonging to any particular group.

You don't have to embrace a monastic way of life or celibacy to engage in its practices... but, as a father of two and a breadwinner I often wonder how much easier it would have been as a monk ;-)

If we're wise, we'll learn from the experience of those Christian Mystics who went before us (who thankfully left us some literature late in their lives), and therefore we'll adopt only those practices that truly helpful to them.

We live in a fast-paced society and we don't have all-day for meditation, study, silence, solitude, and contemplation. That doesn't mean we can't be mystics... We can develop a healthy rhythm of life within and around our spouses, children, jobs, passions, and social lives.

It's also neo-mysticism because this mystical way of life has nearly disappeared from Christianity for a couple of centuries (especially the Protestant tradition), and is now making a strong comeback... or at least should be.

Finally, we live in a totally new era. We don't have books, we have Kindles. We don't write letters, we leave messages on Facebook. We don't buy encyclopedias, we Google or Wikipedia. Sadly, we also have a new set of problems. It's easier than ever to get addicted to drugs, even legal ones like nicotine and alcohol. We can see some of the worst imaginable sexual immorality very explicitly wherever there's an internet connection. These circumstances demand a fresh response. Thus, neo-mysticism is an adaptation of the mysticism from years gone by considering our current situation, to present a healthy way of life for this generation.

Any adult learner won't submit to a learning journey before he or she knows the benefits of learning — the answer to the "What's in it for me?" question... We turn to that next.

Benefits of learning

Consider the following as the main benefits of learning from this site and it's contents (which will grow as we progress — keeping in mind that the site only launched during late 2009):

Instead of studying the Bible and gathering knowledge, learn how to read it with God. Learn how to allow the text to read you. Instead of making the Bible part of your life, make your life part of the narrative of the Bible. Read the Bible spiritually, with God — Lectio Divina.

Instead of coming to God daily with a list of requests, learn how true prayer works. Instead of praying, be present when true prayer happens. Become aware of God's presence and allow that presence to transform you in hidden ways that we'll never fully understand. Enjoy freedom from compulsive thinking and its effects. Learn Centering Prayer and Contemplation.

Instead of always thinking in terms of progress, blessing and prosperity, learn more about "The Dark Night of the Soul" and see how such a night might cause you to grow and make spiritual progress despite your own best efforts not to.

Learn how to live with the constant awareness of God, the Eternal Now. Learn how to discover joy and peace in every moment.

Also allow God to let you experience true healing of your subconscious. Experience grace over your addictions and the other issues that's stealing your joy in every moment.

Enjoy NeoMysticism.com. I hope that God will use the writing here to inspire you to seek for a better way of life. I pray that He'll get you going on your quest in search of transformative union with Him. Hopefully, you'll find that there's enough practical advice here to get you started on that quest — solidly, today!

May the fruit of this union with God be that, as Richard Rohr teaches so frequently, you learn to transform pain, instead of reflecting it. If union with God is the ultimate goal of mysticism, the ability to be hurt and mistreated by others and not do anything harmful back onto them is its ultimate fruit. Isn't that ability exactly what made Jesus so different from those around Him?

Menu

Subscribe via email

Enter your email address:

A Suitable Quote...

"How do you make attractive that which is not?
How do you sell emptiness, vulnerability and nonsuccess?
How do you talk descent when everything is about ascent?
How can you possibly market letting-go in a capitalist culture?
How do you present Jesus to a Promethean mind?
How do you talk about dying to a church trying to appear perfect?

This is not going to work (admitting this might be my first step)"

— Richard Rohr at the beginning of his book Everything Belongs...

Most of the information, I — Dries Cronje — wrote here, I learned either from generous teachers who I'm infinitely thankful for,or from personal experience. Feel free to write about these topics after you have blended it with you own experience. However,please refrain from copying anything on this website as is, regardless of the format you want to use it in — written, verbalor digital. That right I do reserve.